Inpatient Rehab Unit Featured on CBS News 48 Hours

The work of Dr. Sean Smith and the entire PM&R inpatient rehabilitation unit treating former professional basketball player and terrorism victim Sabastien Bellin was featured on the CBS News program 48 Hours.

The PM&R Inpatient Rehabilitation Unit was showcased during patient Sebastien Bellin’s story. Bellin is a Michigan native and survivor of the March Belgium terrorist attack bombing in the Brussels airport. He did his inpatient rehabilitation here at U-M with our exceptional program and staff.

From the transcript of the show:

At the University of Michigan, Sebastien was aided by over 15 dedicated teammates who helped him take his first steps.

“I’m extremely grateful for all the people who have helped me in the past and are still currently involved in healing me,” he said. “You bond to them because they are part of your rebuilding.”

“I’m quite impressed with how well Sebastien’s rebounded and healed, he’s taking everything on with a positive attitude,” said Dr. Sean Smith, who oversees Sebastien’s rehab at the University of Michigan. “And he hasn’t had complications and so from that perspective, he’s doing quite well. He still has a really long way to go though.”

“Here, what I really find besides the physical progress is the mental progress, I really feel confident getting up here and doing these things,” Sebastien said during a physical therapy session.

“It’s so motivating to keep moving forward.”

“I think the hardest injury for Sebastien to overcome is gonna be the left ankle and foot,” said Dr. Smith. “It’s that he has severe nerve damage.

The full transcript of the episode as well as the video of the program can be found at the CBS News Website.

PM&R's work with Bellin was also featured earlier in the year on CBS This Morning and ESPN's Outside the Lines.